La Fayette class

A class of general-purpose frigates built by DCNS (now Naval Group) noted for pioneering stealth-shaping techniques on a warship hull, using angled surfaces and radar-absorbent composite materials to reduce radar cross-section. Beyond the French Navy it was exported to Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Taiwan.

In service since 1996 · 4 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

3,200

151

crew

Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

French export-licensed

CIEEMG inter-ministerial approval; broadly export-oriented.

Channel: DGA / direct commercial

Fielded & proven

Established · 4 operators

In service since 1996. Status: active · ~5 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 100 mm main gun

Protection

Armor, countermeasures and survivability.

Signature reduction Radar cross-section shaping, RAM coatings, IR suppression. Actual RCS values are classified.: Angled superstructure and radar-absorbent composite paneling

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 125 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes — the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.: 3,200 t
Full-load displacement Displacement fully loaded with fuel, stores and munitions.: 3,800 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.: 25 kn

Stronger than 16% of warships
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.: 151

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 5

Stronger than 70% of warships
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 4

Top 2% of warships

Specifications compiled from public Naval Group and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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